Kapellendorf Abbey

The Kapellendorf convent was founded between 1235 and 1237 by the noble family of the Lords of Capelndorf, who had by then risen to the rank of burgraves of Kirchberg. Originally conceived as a Cistercian nunnery and a burial site, it was consecrated to Saints Mary and Bartholomew. The convent received extensive lands in the surrounding area, including properties in villages such as Taubach, Umpferstedt, and Hermstedt. By the 14th century, the convent's possessions extended over approximately forty localities between the Saale and Ilm rivers. A dispute concerning the observance of the order's rules led 15 nuns to leave the convent in 1256 and establish the short-lived convent of Bachra. Hedwig, the first abbess known by name, presided over the convent from 1263 to 1300. Following the decline of the Kirchberg family, the patronage over the convent passed to the city of Erfurt and later to the Vitzthum family. A siege of the moated castle in 1451 significantly impacted convent life. In 1508, the convent came into the possession of the House of Wettin. During the Peasants' War in 1525, the nuns sought refuge within the walls of the moated castle. The Reformation led to the secularization of Kapellendorf convent in 1527; the convent church has since served as the parish church for the community. No remains of the original convent buildings are visible today.

The Kapellendorf convent was located in Thuringia, in the Weimarer Land, at an elevation of approximately 245 meters above sea level.

The former convent church is now used as the local parish church. No original convent buildings remain. In 1959, the community of Kapellendorf established a local history room, which developed into a castle museum showcasing local history.

• Kapellendorf moated castle (castle, approx. 164 m away)
• Oßmannstedt Manor House (manor house, approx. 5508 m away)
• Oßmannstedt Servite Monastery (monastery, approx. 5756 m away)
• Apolda Castle (castle, approx. 6083 m away)